Prince of Battle Terror
by Doctor Faustus
Summary: Kazuki had blocked out all memories of being a child, leaving only vague recollections behind. Now, as the demons of his suppressed past congregate upon the clan's last heir, he begins to understand what it really means to be a Fuuchouin. ::Ban/Kazuki::
1. Drink and be merry

Fuuchouin Kazuki was never one to display his emotions on his sleeve. Whether he was happy or sad, he hid it beneath lowered lashes and a faint smile. It didn't really matter to him whether people understood anything of what he felt, as long as no one knew of the turbulence that tore at his soul. He was a master of the threads, one of the four kings of the Volts, and yet he lived in fear that one day someone would see his weakness.

Then, where would he be?

He knocked back another glass of hard alcohol. The fiery liquid washed down his throat, its rich glow reflecting like burning sienna in the dim lights of the pub. Some people didn't know that he drank. It was a joke actually. Everyone thought that he was good tempered and gentle, and to his infinite distaste, even _delicate_.

He hated that term actually. People who used that term on him, refused to abolish their mental image of a frail, glass-like doll that shattered to pieces upon the slightest collision with a sharp word. It was obvious such people hadn't seen him at his worst. When his fury had reached breaking point, the sharp acridness of his anger was all he tasted, and his usual kind nature had been overtaken by a darker bestiality that screamed for blood.

"Mind if I join you?"

A smooth voice murmured at the side of his ear, and before he turned to look at the speaker, his ears had somehow registered the fact that the voice had been velvety and…slender somehow. It was a little like a dark ribbon of blood that trickled seductive crimson down one's fingers. Kazuki shook his head to clear it of thoughts; he must have been hanging around Akabane far too often.

"No? What a shame…"

Kazuki blinked, before realising belatedly what he had done. He turned to see the retreating back of the shorter man, and reached out for his arm.

"Hey, I didn't mean…"

When the man had turned back to face him, Kazuki found that the words had died in his throat. The familiar spiky dark hair, and the iridescent purple shades that hid the brilliance of azure eyes, everything that he had come here to forget.

"Ban," he managed to greet him, as civilly as he could manage.

_Shit. _He had decided to go to an obscure bar, one that was patronised only by a handful of customers as it was located in one of the shadier corners of Japan. He had went to all that trouble, reasonably expecting that no one he knew would be there. And even then…

Ban ordered his drink calmly, and ordered another for him. It took a while before they really became at ease within each other's company. As though the tension that stifled the air within Honky Tonk wasn't bad enough, the object of his most…vivid thoughts had decided to show up at the obscure bar which he decided to park himself in for the night.

The colour of the alcoholic beverage in front of him swirled in lazy whirls of rich violet.

It reminded him a little of the ridiculous pince-nez that Ban wore daily. He hated the way Ban was never seen without them, consistently hiding his eyes behind the purple lenses, from anyone and everyone. It was almost as though it hurt to see things for what they truly were, and starkly untinted by any colour at all.

"It's not like you to be so silent," Ban remarked.

"It's not like you to care either."

The remark came out more caustic than he had expected. Kazuki had meant for it to sound like a light-hearted jibe, but it came out sounding more like what he really felt instead. Ban had to be a bloody moron, if he didn't know by then what he felt for him. Then again, if he really did know of his feelings, he was a bloody smart moron by not giving any false hope.

Kazuki was vaguely aware that the alcohol was muddling his usual rationality, but the more he drank, the more he realised that he didn't really care anyway.

Ban laughed softly. It was a sound that shook Kazuki internally. The sound of his laughter had been like velvet rubbing against bare skin. It was like heady, intoxicating alcohol that trapped one in its bittersweet flavour contained in a single glass. It was exhilarating, liberating, and at the same time, so darkly melodic that it was as though one's soul rose even as he was clawed all the way into the darkness again.

"I'm sorry," he offered an apology, even as he desperately tried to keep his thinking on track.

"I guess I've been drinking too much. It's not like me to be so rude to a companion."

"It doesn't matter, Kazuki."

Somehow the syllables of his name, uttered by the one whose very visage had filled his dreams night after night, awoke the strangest memories inside of him. He couldn't really remember much of his past, only the vaguest details. And yet, all it took was the soft murmur of his name brought back an image that he had locked inside of himself all those years ago.

_It was a pale yellow afternoon. He had a tendency to think of days in terms of colours. He liked the way the flowers bloomed prettily in the garden, and the sun had lightly warming as well. He was about four when his favourite hiding spot was still behind the large tree that stood by their ancestral home for decades and decades._

_"Time to eat, Kazu-chan!"_

He knocked back another shot of hard alcohol.

And made himself forget everything, all over again.

Beside him, Ban stirred restlessly in his seat. It wasn't long before the shorter man stood and carelessly slapped down a few notes onto the counter. Kazuki had a gut instinct that Ban had wanted to talk to him. And in the hushed atmosphere of the near empty bar, where every word could be heard from each corner of the room, Kazuki had concentrated on drinking alone.

"Are you coming?" Ban asked him quietly, much unlike the domineering and uncompromising stance that he usually took with everyone else.

Kazuki took a moment to think. Ban probably wanted information again, information that only he could provide. It did thrill him for just that one moment, pathetic as it was, to note the gentler tone that Ban had taken with him. He had nothing to lose anymore.

"Sure."

* * *

A/N: This is the first fanfiction that I've ever written for Get Backers. It's not only because I don't have all the facts, that it's not going to be the usual gentle Kazuki that you would be seeing. Perhaps he would be a little out of character but I did want to try something new for him.

Edited 22/12: Thank you Kia Vail-Kagami, for alerting me to that fact! Damn. I can't believe Kazuki is taller. How bizarre.


	2. Seeing dinner again

Kazuki blanched as he slid off the seat and felt the earth move beneath him. Ban had smoothly paid for both their drinks, even before Kazuki could work himself up to protest. His vision swam in a more or less unsteady path ahead of him, as he ignored the dull pounding in his head and the sour taste in his mouth.

His hand gripped the steel back of the chair as his feet wobbled uncertainly beneath him.

This was definitely Ban's fault for making him get out of the bar. Why did he have to turn up, just as he was beginning to get completely sloshed? Reality checks had to be one of the most irritating facets of life. Just as he began to swim around happily in his pool of alcohol, something would always come up to bite him in the ass.

He had a sudden urge to eat fish. Salmon sashimi was good.

Where was the nearest –

"Kazuki." 

He blinked and looked up, only to find Ban's face millimetres away from him.

"Ahhh!"

Kazuki was dimly aware that his heart rate had probably increased threefold, and that his breathing sounded harsh. Okay. Breathe in. Breathe out. He did NOT scream like a girl. In fact, it was a perfectly manly grunt of surprise. He was just…taken aback for a moment, that's all. And all the patrons were staring, probably because they were concerned about him, and obviously not because they were amused. Wait – was that a smirk?

"You scream like a girl." Ban commented casually.

_Shit. _

"No, I do not." He wondered briefly why it had sounded wittier when he said it in his head.

"As if."

Kazuki ignored the last little comment and led the way out of the bar, narrowly avoiding collision with a table.

The outside of the bar was not much better than the inside. Ban took Kazuki's elbow and led him into the side alleyway beside the bar. It was clear that Kazuki was not accustomed to strong drink, judging from the unsteady gait of the other.

It was a shame that he had business to attend to, or he would have drank the night away with him. Kazuki was especially beautiful when he was drunk.

He liked the way Kazuki looked, when his face was slightly flushed from drinking too much. It was also entertaining, to watch him stumble around in a clumsy but adorable imitation of his usual graceful walk. It was also a relief to him that he didn't have to pretend as though he wasn't watching his every movement, because an intoxicated Kazuki cared about the glass in front of him and to hell with everything else.

He hoped that the other was sober enough though, for what he was about to say was important.

"There is a…problem with the latest mission that Ginji and I have undertaken."

Kazuki rested his head against the cool stone of the alley wall. Taking in a few deep breaths, he calmed the pounding ache inside his head by sheer force of will. Blinking away the sudden resentment that rose in him, he crushed the remnants of hope that Ban had seen him as someone else other than a business contact.

_Damn you._

"Yes?" he said coolly.

Ban was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, but it didn't stop him from finishing his story.

"We accepted a job by a businessman, to help him to find his teenage daughter that ran away from home. It seemed like an easy job to us, and once we had found the places that she frequented, it wasn't hard to find other places of similar nature that she would turn to instead."

"So what went wrong?"

"We finally tracked her down to a club last night. It was near midnight, and the bartender told us that she had left only ten minutes before. Later, we found her dead body dumped in an alley near there, but that's not the worst thing."

Kazuki closed his eyes and rested his back against the wall, feeling extremely queasy. He clenched his teeth, feeling the contents of his stomach bubble and surge heavily inside it.

"There's worse…?"

"Unfortunately so. She was missing a lot of blood. However, very little of it was spilt on the floor, which makes me suspect that the bulk of the blood had been…disposed of, in some other fashion."

"You're talking about a vampire." Kazuki stated blandly.

"Yes."

Ban's expression was completely serious.

"So you're looking to me for…?"

"Sources of information. The father is distraught and is willing to pay extremely well, for us to find out who did this, as soon as possible. Ginji and I have agreed, and we will split the reward with you…uh, Kazuki?"

Kazuki groaned as his stomach did a sudden lurch, and before he knew it, he was on his knees, throwing up everything that he had consumed in the past five hours. The sour taste of alcohol remained in his mouth, even as he threw up hard enough for the vomit to splatter wetly against the floor. Feeling nauseated at the stench of his vomit, he threw up heavily again.

"Hey, don't get that all over my shoes!" Ban yelped.

That was the last thing Kazuki heard before he blacked out completely.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reviewing! It definitely gave me motivation to keep on writing. To everyone, especially Animegoil, I'm really sorry to let you down, but I'm afraid this chapter (and most probably subsequent chapters) will be very cliched actually. I originally wrote this fic for fun, so it's not as dark as my other fics, and it will probably be rather - erm - fangirly. I'm sorry if it doesn't live up to prior expectations.


	3. The spoon that bends

His hair was sticking to the back of his neck.

Kazuki looked at the clock, whose hands didn't seem inclined to move any faster. Swirling his tea in clockwise and counter clockwise directions alternately, was only amusing up to a certain point. He sighed and admonished himself inwardly for even thinking about the horrendous spectacle he had made of himself, the night before.

"Is something wrong, Kazuki-san?" Natsumi asked him in concern. "You've been sighing the whole morning!"

Forcing a smile, he only went as "I…" before he was cut off by an abrupt yawn.

"He didn't sleep very well last night," Ban interjected irately, his eyes darkened with the shadows of one who had stayed up all night.

Sudden silence reigned in the room at Ban's ominous words.

Kazuki felt like breaking something. Fantasies of whacking Ban's wilful spikes down with the nearest blunt object began to flit through his mind. Just because he had completely humiliated himself the night before, it didn't mean that the bastard had to reveal that little fact to everyone else at the bar. Even worse, that little cryptic sentence was going to result in everyone looking at him even more strangely than before.

"My, my, Ban, you certainly move fast," Paul complimented him with a sly twinkle in his eye.

He was not going to hit him.

Hopefully.

Kazuki wasn't sure if he knew what that sentence meant, but he did realise that something could be worse than those irritatingly knowing looks that Paul shot him. Or those comforting pats that Ginji-san was beginning to bestow upon him, every single time he happened to be in another public spat with Ban.

Somehow everyone was giving him the impression that they were almost…indulging in the idea that two of them were a couple.

God forbid.

* * *

"…and you see, that's how he landed up in _my_ bed." Ban explained smugly.

Catcalls and whistles came from the other patrons in the shop, boldly encouraging Ban to carry on with his tale. Kazuki flushed deeply, and the heated calls from the other patrons increased in volume. Ban had not deviated far from the truth, only embellishing the facts and…well, hinting at everything so deviously that everyone understood his intended meaning without him saying a single word.

"You're turning red again, Itomaki. Come to think of it, you _do_ blush rather easily. Why, just last night…"

"Stop it, Ban! That was only because of the alcohol!"

Kazuki was seriously becoming upset. Just what did he want? He hadn't meant to pass out and inconvenience him! Was it really necessary to humiliate it thus?

"My, is my dear little Kazu-chan getting _angry?_" Ban mocked, deliberately turning his back on the furious Fuuchouin.

Only Ginji noticed the murderous expression that flitted across Kazuki's face, before a sickeningly sweet smile replaced it. He wasn't too sure if Ban was being ignorant on purpose, but he was just sitting there, unconcernedly regaling the patrons with the rest of his tale. Tugging at Ban's sleeves nervously to no avail, Ginji tried his best to put as much space between the thread-user and them.

Ban turned to meet the fury darkened eyes of Kazuki, and smirked.

"Can I have a word with you, Ban?" he asked sweetly.

The catcalls followed them all the way out of the shop.

* * *

Kazuki whirled on him the moment they were away from the inquisitive stares of the shop's patrons, and hopefully out of their hearing as well. He was suddenly so angry and embarrassed, he didn't really stop to consider what others would think as he gripped Ban's shirt and shoved him against the wall. Bearing down on the shorter man, Kazuki snapped at him furiously.

"What is _wrong_ with you?"

Ban raised an eyebrow at that.

"You're the one pressing yourself against me, if you haven't noticed."

He choked at that. Incredulity and anger simmered in his tensed muscles, and Kazuki breathed in deeply, clenching and unclenching his fists. It was far too tempting to reach for the golden bells that rang merrily with each dip of his head, and leave Ban hanging from the lamp posts for the next five days.

"Tell me, so why are you angry?" Ban murmured, his eyes darkening as he glanced at the crescent imprints Kazuki's nails dug into the palm of his hands. At the sound of Ban's voice, quiet and husky, Kazuki stared incredulously at him, forgetting his anger momentarily.

"You want me, Itomaki. I could see it in your eyes for the past few months now… Why do you hide from yourself?"

Confused and rather bewildered, Kazuki found himself at a loss for words as Ban slid his hands over Kazuki's smaller ones, until the base of his thumbs rested against the fine veins of his wrists. Ban moved with an ease that was both casual and seductively confident; his calloused touch sliding against slender, smooth wrists.

Their sudden closeness as Ban drew him nearer, made Kazuki catch his breath unexpectedly. Feeling abruptly flustered and nervous at the same time, he could feel his heart racing rapidly, beating so hard against his chest that he was sure that Ban could hear.

Kazuki didn't even realise that he had staring at the floor all this time, until the feel of Ban's fingers brushing against his cheek caused him to snap his head up. He couldn't tell if it was fascination, amusement, or even desire that provoked Ban to smile in that way when he leant closer and whispered,

"And all you had to do was ask…" and pressed a slow, gentle kiss on his lips.

* * *

A/N: Many, many thanks to all reviewers, especially zephyrlight and animegirl12182! I would have left this fic to collect dust if not for the two of you reviewing suddenly and kicking my lazy ass off the chair. I would have extended this chapter but I thought the fanservice would be a token of appreciation first!

Another thing is, I finally pieced together the plot and...I take back what I said about this fic not being dark and angsty. I realise that I'm a failure at writing happy material. Damn.


	4. Everybody's Fool

_His shadow obscured the face of the older man. It was curious how his feminine looks and lithe figure covered up the fact that he was older by Ban by a year. By any measure, Fuuchouin Kazuki resembled the part of vulnerable prey more closely than of an older, wiser man. Ban didn't know whether to be glad that even the frightened, bewildered look in Kazuki's eyes couldn't get him to pull away. _

_Bending slightly, his mouth grazed the side of the pale neck, eliciting a startled gasp from Kazuki._

"_You want this as much as I do." Ban stated._

_He hated doing something as underhand as this. But if the evidence was anything to go by, he was running out of ideas - and time - to solve the mystery. Their client was getting distinctly unhappy, and the number of dead bodies was piling up by the night. _

_Besides, it wasn't as though he had never intended to stake out Kazuki as his own, it was simply that the circumstances had forced him to make his move a little faster than usual. It was difficult to convince himself of the justification of his acts, when he looked at Kazuki and saw his will breaking down in his eyes, dark pools that reflected every thought and feeling. Ban knew exactly how to press his advantage to get Kazuki pliant and docile to his will, yet found himself unwilling to move._

_His predicament was solved when Kazuki tentatively threaded his hands through his spiked hair and around his neck. Not a word was said, but Kazuki's eyes spoke volumes in their searching, unreachable depths. Mistrust, fear, excitement and a certain reckless thrill that Ban felt more than he saw, when Kazuki kissed him hard. _

_Ban figured he was probably damned anyway. _

* * *

"Here, eat it before it melts."

Kazuki looked up to see Ban holding two ice cream cones and handing him one. Smiling, he accepted it gracefully with thanks, shifting a little so that Ban could sit down next to him. It was evening by the time the pair had finished trying out all the rides inside the amusement park. Ban had been mostly attentive and affectionate, and their date was turning out to be a success.

He had no idea how things had come to this stage – well, he did, but it was somehow inconceivable that something that good happened to him.

Kazuki remembered telling himself repeatedly that his fixation was ridiculous, a dangerous side addiction on the battle genius that barely tolerated his presence. He had tried his best to repress his feelings, and even resorted to spending as much of his time in the most isolated areas of town. Yet he could never really bring himself to leave; not permanently at least.

He could never tell the difference, when Ban was flirting with him like he did with everyone else for the fun of it, and when he meant what he said. Back at the Honky Tonk one week ago, his heart had nearly stopped when Ban had grazed his lips lightly, and an awful voice taunted in his head that caving in would allow Ban the chance to mock him and walk away. He didn't think he would be able to bear that.

But Ban had paused, mere centimetres away, and Kazuki found himself unable to look away.

It was easier to kiss him back and pretend that everything between them somehow became alright. Closing his eyes to how convenient everything was, blocking out the voice that insisted vehemently inside his mind that Ban was not to be trusted; Kazuki chose to believe in Ban instead. Although, there were still memories that refused to be muted as easily.

The night that he had been drunk and passed out in front of Ban seemed important somehow, even though he couldn't remember everything. But of what he could, it seemed important and yet disjointed somehow.

_Through the night he had heard voices and snatched at wisps of dreams that lingered as he drifted in and out of sleep. But he had awoken to feel Ban shaking him, a voice cut off instantly but not before Kazuki registered the insistence in its demand. _

"_Who are they, Kazuki? Who are they?"_

_His eyes snapped open in that instant, as he came face to face with Ban and saw the determination in those blue eyes melt away. Kazuki realised belatedly that he had frozen in fear, his hands shielding his eyes from his nightmare. Bewildered, he stared at his fingers which came away wet with tears._

"_Were you dreaming?" _

"Oi, Itomaki! Didn't you hear me? It's near 6 already! Let's go!"

Ban sounded annoyed and Kazuki realised with a start that he had probably been trying to call him for some time already. Standing up gracefully, he breathed in deeply before hurrying after Ban who looked exasperated and amused all at the same time.

Kazuki was warm, sticky and the ice cream was melting faster than he could lick up the errant drops. But he was contented and happy, just walking back to the car with Ban.

* * *

Kazuki leant back in his seat uneasily, wringing his hands quietly as he asked Ban again for the fourth time that night,

"Are you sure Ginji is fine without you for the whole day?"

Ban rolled his eyes heavenward, before replying matter-of-factly that weighing the options, Ginji would cry more in the long run had he realised that he was an unwanted obstacle in his dearest Kazuki's love life. The image of Ginji wailing and clinging onto his head in remorse was enough to make Kazuki smile, and Ban felt an odd twinge of satisfaction from entertaining the strings-user.

The two were having dinner at a small restaurant that Kazuki knew of. Ban had told him to choose any place he liked, but he still chose the cosy café, knowing of the tight budget that Ban was on. Even then, Ban was too stubborn to let Kazuki foot the bill for even half of the meal and Kazuki didn't know whether he should be glad that his lover was so caring, or exasperated at his pig-headedness.

The meal was excellent but Ban's mind wasn't on the food. Kazuki was in a warm, talkative mood and Ban felt worse at the night wore on. Fuuchouin Kazuki was known for being extraordinarily gentle and gracious to everyone he knew, but beyond that lay a polite distance between himself and the next person. Juubei had taken him aside the day after their relationship was brought into the open, and told him seriously.

"_If you ever make Kazuki cry, I will not be able to forgive you."_

Ban had been about to brush off his comment with his usual flippancy, but Juubei had caught his arm and Ban glanced up to see the heartbroken expression that even the mask could not hide. Juubei did love Kazuki, and he made no effort to conceal that fact from Ban. Though, really, he supposed he should have known that by then.

What came as a surprise was probably Juubei's warning that Kazuki's heart was fragile even though he expressed warmth and affection for almost anyone he came across. He fought to keep a part of himself, safely tucked away from the rest of the world who couldn't see his pain. When Kazuki gave his heart to someone, he relinquished all control and the very same person could break him completely.

"_I watched him grow up, Ban. After his parents' demise, he hid everything that made him sad inside, so no one ever would ever see him cry again."_

He had dismissed it at that time, brushing it off as irrelevant advice. But he had also found out that Juubei knew almost nothing of Kazuki's drinking habits. The taller man was stunned when Ban had regaled him cheerfully about the Kazuki he had come across, drinking himself sick in a bar by himself. He knew nothing of it even though he had been with Kazuki since they were children.

Ban kept his face deliberately bland as he chatted with Kazuki about trivial matters, charming him in the only fashion that he knew how. He could win the heart of almost anyone he set his sights upon, but the thread user was proving to be an enigma. Ban's heart sank when he realised how furious Kazuki would be when he finally realised that he was being made use of.

'So what happened with your previous job about the vampire?"

Kazuki asked suddenly, sipping his drink as he waited for a reply.

Ban looked almost exactly the same as always, but Kazuki recognised unease when he saw it. Heard it, in fact, in the deliberately chosen words and the apparent casualness in Ban's body language.

"It's still on. I think Ginji and I would be able to pull it off on our own after all…what?"

Ban stared at Kazuki, sensing something deeper in the usual gentle-tempered man's gaze. The look Kazuki was directing at him, was distinctively mistrustful in its probing, searching intent. Kazuki had the strangest feeling that he was being played by a superb marionette master, and it both unsettled him and made him suspicious. But the supreme confidence that Ban wore like his personal brand of cologne had already lashed tightly back into place.

"Nothing," Kazuki murmured in confusion, as he set his glass back into place.

* * *

"Can I sleep over at your place tonight?"

Kazuki's eyes widened fractionally as his mind raced to find a diplomatic reason to put Ban off. They had barely known each other for a week and Kazuki winced when he thought of the training room and how he had sworn even Juubei to absolute secrecy before he had let him in. Letting Midou Ban into his private apartments to roam around at free will was probably tantamount to bringing home a stray dog that had never been housetrained before. Kazuki wondered briefly if that was too harsh a judgment, but still his privacy was more important.

"Itomaki," Ban grinned broadly.

"I asked to sleep over at your place. Not sleep with you. Thoughif you _really_ wanted me too, I suppose I could throw that in for a modest fee, of course." Ban winked seductively at Kazuki and brushed his fingers against his lips.

Oh. That.

Kazuki flushed deeply and turned to unlock the door behind him, fumbling with the keys in his embarrassment.

"Itomaaaakiii…" Ban drawled out in a singsong voice. "You haven't answered my question "

Kazuki tried to will his cheeks to go back to normal. Nope. The more he thought about it, the hotter he felt his face become. If he did let Ban into his house, he supposed it'd be a miracle if Ban was still alive in the morning. Kazuki grinned at a sudden thought as he twisted the right key into the keyhole. Then again, if Ban became too annoying, he had many convenient corners of the walls and ceiling to suspend him from. All night, if necessary.

Kazuki chuckled to himself, as the door swung open and let them in.

* * *

A/N: Na ! A present for everyone! Since I took so long with this chapter, I made it twice as long as the previous one! I replied personally to all reviews, but I'm not sure if they were received though… Just in case, I want to say that I'm happy people like a dark, angsty and potentially ruthless Kazuki. Unfortunately, Kazuki Part II will not be joining us, until Kazuki Part I has had his fill of happy prancing around in fields of sunshine and marigolds.

Don't stone me for the shameless plugging, but I'm still ploughing the most effort into Art of Life, one of my Tennis no Ohjisama fanfics.

R&R is always appreciated!


	5. Eye of the storm

Ban's eyes snapped open.

Next to him, the silence yawned wide and empty.

Ban sat upright in bed, glancing around the room and taking note of the absence of its owner, before sliding his feet off the bed and landing quietly like a cat on the polished wooden floor. There was nothing that should have aroused his suspicions, but somehow, he knew before he went through the other rooms, that he was the only one in the apartment.

His heart, chilled with the sudden realisation that Kazuki's guilt was growing, filled with an unexpected bitterness that drove him into the streets with a resolve to seek out the secret lairs of his beautiful prey.

In the streets of wet Tokyo, Ban's steady footsteps were unnaturally loud as his shoes stepped off the slick sidewalks and into the seedier alleys that ran through Shinjuku. He didn't know where he was heading but his instincts guided him through, following the empty darkness that instinctively left a quiet trail through the maze of alleys. His spiky hair and white coat gathered many hungry stares from the destitute homeless that crouched back against the walls, nervous and desperate enough to consider mugging the man before he left.

The rain kept on falling and Ban's footsteps gained speed as he heard screams that cut off abruptly, leaving a horrible silence in its wake. He broke into a run then, tracing the sounds which died away into the rain that began to pour heavily.

Turning around the corner, he halted in his steps abruptly. Kazuki's eyes were terrified and unseeing as he backed even closer against the filthy wall and away from the body that continued to bleed, warm blood mingling into the rain water, rushing across the crooked pavement to bathe the soles of Ban's shoes. The crimson thickness that splattered grotesquely against Kazuki's pale, slender figure was enough to break the reverie that held Ban in its spell. His anger had vanished in the face of Kazuki's growing panic and bewilderment, and Ban couldn't find it in him to force the answers out, at least not whilst Kazuki still looked at him as though he was about to cry any moment.

Standing over him, Ban sighed inwardly and held out his hand.

"Let's go home."

-

The warmth of the apartment was reassuring and Ban felt more than he saw Kazuki revive and come back into himself. Kazuki's chilled hand told him that the string-user had not completely recovered and Ban winced a little at the vise-like grip which refused to let him go. Grabbing a neatly folded towel from the rack, Ban proceeded to dry Kazuki's hair roughly, ignoring the reluctance in which Kazuki's hand had slipped from his wrist.

It was surprising how quickly his anger had cooled. Pulling Kazuki onto the couch, Ban drew the unresisting man into his arms and waited for him to speak.

Outside the rain continued to pour.

"You followed me there…?"

A voice too subdued for Ban's liking emerged from the huddled figure, and it took all his willpower not to caress his face and tell him that things were going to be okay. In his minds' eye, he forcibly remembered the blood and the expression of frozen fear on the woman's features even as her blood drained away.

"When I awoke, you were already gone. Don't ask me how I found you, but when I did, you were already there with the dead body." Ban informed him bluntly.

He could feel Kazuki stiffen in his arms, but there was no protest offered. Ban's lips quirked with vague cynicism as he drawled out slowly,

"She didn't look all that good with her skull half cracked open now, did it?"

"…what do you want?"

"This is gonna sound a little corny babe, but the truth would do just fine."

"And would you believe me if I told you that I cannot remember a thing?"

Kazuki asked wearily, his eyes shutting as he leant closer into the deceiving warmth of his interrogator. It was curious how simple physical warmth was enough to keep the fears of his mind at bay, perhaps even enough to make him forget the taste of blood in his mouth. A sense of overriding hunger was tearing through his body before it left just as abruptly. He would have shivered, only that it was a redundant action and the pounding in his head suffered with the slightest movement of his head.

"Not even why you were out there to begin with?"

"I was dreaming. It is a common enough occurrence. There were nights where I awoke only to find myself in a different part of the city."

"With a dead body next to you each time?"

"…"

"Tell me something. Anything. What do you remember, Kazuki?"

"I was…hungry."

Kazuki looked up to see the incredulous expression on Ban's face as he held him at arms length critically. He began to feel humiliated and angry at himself for having said that, and at Ban for forcing him to do so. But even as the seconds passed, he was beginning to forget the last vestiges of that fleeting memory. It was as though he was grasping at rain, silken drops that evaded him and slid past his open fingers. It was there, and yet, even now…

"I can't remember anymore," Kazuki mumbled dully and arose from the couch, his face flaming with the embarrassment of having said something that inane.

Removing his shoes, Kazuki was intensely aware of Ban following him into his bedroom, and proceeding to sit on a chair next to the bed. Was he planning to watch him like a prisoner? He felt too weary to argue or force Ban from his room, he no longer had such a right after he murdered someone in cold blood. He couldn't remember any of it, but it was just as well that it wasn't his first murder, or the face that gazed back at him in stark terror would probably be twice as vivid. As it was, Kazuki fully expected to have trouble sleeping.

Unexpectedly, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep easily.

-

"Kazuki, I have a mission that I need you to undertake…"

There wasn't many details given but Hevn outlined the basic plans which he would simply have to improvise upon. The object was to retrieve a talisman that had been the heirloom of an ancient clan. Ban and Ginji usually got the first priority on such simple in and out jobs, but Hevn stressed the importance of a tight deadline and the fact that the two had failed to deliver any significant clues on their recent assignment.

Kazuki blew at his tea gently, before taking a small sip. He had awoken with a greater headache than usual. It reminded him of his usual hangover after a night of drinking. When he was in a bad mood, he drank and when most of his control had been eroded through alcohol, he found himself in a different part of the city when he awoke. But sleepwalking when he hadn't been drunk the night before was rare…at least he believed so.

The morning after the murder had been surprisingly awkward between them. In retrospect, Kazuki wasn't sure what else he should have expected. He was probably lucky that Ban was even talking to him. He couldn't be sure of the reason but he found himself furious at his tendency to cave in and explain his every action that was remotely irrational to Ban. Why did he feel so compelled to do so, when he wasn't even sure that it was him who had killed someone in cold blood? It had never been in his nature to kill, and this was the first time that something like this had happened.

But Ban believed it. He was sure of it, from the look in his eyes, and that changed the balance in their relationship somewhat. Kazuki was being forced into an increasingly subservient position, and it was beginning to irk him. It was almost as though admitting his feelings for Ban, and being accepted in return, extorted the price of losing his own pride and free will as a person. Perhaps he was probably taking things a little too literally, but the constraints of a relationship were holding him closer in their snares than he would have preferred.

Did Hevn even want a casual murderer on her hiring list? He wasn't too sure but he wasn't about to double check on that. Perhaps Ban could do the honours, considering how he had been watching his every move like a hawk from the night before. Things between them were so strained that Kazuki was mentally grateful that he had managed to evict Ban from his apartment that morning, just in case Ban took it into his head to conduct a search of his house for any suspicious items.

Shit, his head was hurting so badly that his heartbeat seemed to be pounding against the cage of his head. Kazuki casually rested his chin on his hand, his fingers gingerly pressing against his temple. He supposed there wasn't much else he could do but wait it out.

"I would be pleased to accept the job, Hevn-san. But only on the condition that it will be a solo mission."

Instantly, Ban's voice sounded.

"Why? Wouldn't it be safer if, say, Shido went along?"

"Since when do you call me by my real name?"

"Shut up. Well?"

"No. It's my job and it's going to be my call."

"My, aren't we possessive this morning? Come now, I'm sure monkey-brains won't take too large a portion of the reward."

"What did you say, you – "

Kazuki felt his headache intensify. The cup he had been holding cracked, and Kazuki blinked down at it before setting it down in the saucer abruptly. The bickering between Shido and Ban carried on, but the pain in his head had lessened greatly by then. He watched the tea seep out slowly from the crack and drip wetly into the growing puddle in the saucer.

"Hevn-san. Will there be a problem with my request?"

"Not at all, if you're confident of succeeding…" her voice trailed off uncertainly.

Kazuki smiled gently at her and left the Honky Tonk. Behind him, the squabble was escalating, but a sharp pair of cerulean eyes followed his every motion.

-

-

A/N: Once again, sorry for taking so long to write! I have finally got the entire plot together so I know exactly what to write at last! To the shiny people who have taken the time to review, it made me really happy! And don't worry, I will continue the series no matter what, it's just that I write...slowly...

Also, if you have noticed, the writing style for this chapter is different from previous chapters. Leave a note to let me know whether it's okay or a simpler style that sticks to the action is preferred?


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